3 Car Care Tips for the Winter

Posted September 23, 2022

Wintertime can be terrible for your car, especially if you don’t take the necessary measures to protect it. It’s vital to shield it from the elements because snow and cold can affect your tires and windows. According to MyCarNeedsA.com, each vehicle’s handbook has a special booklet with the maintenance service schedule by the manufacturer, so make sure you know when you can get your car checked. But in the meantime, you can protect your vehicle during the winter with these great tips!

1. Getting Your Car Serviced

Maintaining a working battery during the cold season is essential, and keeping it charged even if you’re not using your vehicle that often. The last thing you want is to drive somewhere only to end up with a dead battery in the middle of winter.

Battery power tends to diminish in cold weather, so it needs to be in top shape to turn on your vehicle. If you notice that your car battery is having problems already, you might want to get a new one and even consider one above 600 CCA.

You need to include antifreeze in your vehicle, and a technician should be able to recommend the best one. The usual ratio of antifreeze to water is between 50/50 and 70/30. Your brakes also need to be checked because they work double during the winter with frozen asphalt or worse. An inspection is always recommended, and your mechanic should get the tires, too.

2. Getting Winter Tires

Even if you have new tires already, it’s always better to go for the safe bet, especially if you live in harsher weather conditions. The problem is that temperatures bellowing freezing make rubber in non-winter tires tough and unpliable, which reduces friction. You won’t have those issues with proper winter tires as they are made with different materials.

3. Getting Winter Wipers

Standard wipers might not be as effective during the cold season as winter models because these are designed to prevent ice from sticking to the blades. Winter wipers are also heavier, so you must remove them when winter ends to avoid overworking your wiper motor.

Now that you know how to care for your car during the winter, it’s time to call the professionals to get the job done. If you’re looking for an auto shop you can count on, call Veenstras Garage today!